Island of Pumice 4x Size of Rhode Island Found in S Pacific

[JimBowie1958]

'Weirdest thing' floats in South Pacific - CNN.com

Pumice, the lightweight stone used to smooth skin, is usually found in beauty salons, but on Thursday sailors from New Zealand's Royal Navy found nearly 10,000 square miles of the lava rock bobbing on the surface of the South Pacific Ocean.

By comparison, the state of Rhode Island comprises approximately 1,200 square miles.

Described by one sailor who witnessed it as "the weirdest thing I've seen in 18 years at sea," the sea of white rock was initially spotted by air and then relayed to a ship for further investigation, according to a statement released by the New Zealand Royal Navy.

"The lookout reported a shadow on the ocean ahead of us, so I ordered the ship's spotlight to be trained on the area ... as far ahead as I could observe was a raft of pumice moving up and down with the swell," Lt. Tim Oscar said.

Pumice is typically a byproduct of lava that has cooled quickly after a volcanic eruption. The lava forms a rock so lightweight it floats on the water's surface.

"As we moved through the raft of pumice we used the spotlights to try and find the edge -- but it extended as far as we could see," Oscar said after the encounter.

Mighty cool.

 

[elvis]

Is that where Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum want to send the gays?

 

[Mr. H.]

I wonder if that shit will ever sink?

 

[martybegan]

I wonder if that shit will ever sink?

I wonder if the laws of salvage cover pumice.

Since they NZRN found it, i guess New Zealand has dibs.

 

[JimBowie1958]

I wonder if that shit will ever sink?

I wonder if the laws of salvage cover pumice.

Since they NZRN found it, i guess New Zealand has dibs.

That would about double their teritorial size and be about the same population density and resources. Guess their wondering if the can breed sheep on it.

lol

 

[JimBowie1958]

Is that where Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum want to send the gays?

No, that would be active lava, not cooled lava.

/s

Palin and Santorum dont want to send 'gays' anywhere, ya booger eater.